Between the time you hire her and the time you walk down the aisle, you’ll have a lot of back-and-forth with your wedding planner. But there are a few things she won’t tell you—even though she really wants to. (Hey, she wants to keep her job!) Below, Louise Lambert, the wedding and catering manager at Southern California’s Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa, sounds off on the five things she wishes all brides (and grooms) knew.
1. It’s time for cupcakes to go away. The cake-cutting tradition, with the groom placing his hand over the bride’s, symbolizes continuity and support in the marriage. Brides and grooms think they’re being fun and trendy by using cupcakes as a stand-in, but they’re forgoing something special. Plus, cupcakes have been done to death.
2. Pinterest can be the enemy. Brides and grooms come in with thousands of ideas from Pinterest and wedding blogs, and all those pictures add up to a wedding they just can’t afford. (We can rent faux-vintage furniture or hang dramatic outdoor chandeliers—for a price.) It’s great to have ideas, but try not to get carried away with over-the-top inspiration.
3. I need your support. Your big day will unfold smoothly if you’ve done your homework. Keep your contracts in one place, and make sure I have a day-of schedule with setup details and contact information for all your vendors so I can be the one to field the frantic calls.
4. Your flowers will wilt if it’s an outdoor venue on a warm day. There are preventative measures we can take—spritzing flowers with cool water, waiting longer to put them outside, and adding market umbrellas to provide shade—but if it’s a hot day, don’t be alarmed when your flowers start to fade. And don’t yell at us. It’s just nature! (And your guests won’t notice a few wilted petals, but they will notice if the bride seems distressed over them!)
5. Don’t go MIA. Wedding planning is a two-way street, and I need to communicate with you every step of the way. If you don’t respond to my emails and calls, you’re leaving major decisions in my lap—and I don’t want to choose your flower colors or your linens without your input!
Don’t Care About Wedding Planning? Watch Matthew McConaughey Talk About How He Used to Kill Armadillos for a Living.